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Thursday, January 22, 2009

That was one tired Blue Jackets team on display last night. Understandable considering it was their 3rd game in 4 nights.

...but you know what, they battled...they stuck up for one another..they took the best the Flames had and gave it right back to them.

Was it textbook Hitchockey? Of course not but to come out and battle the way they did after such a deflating loss in Edmonton once again shows this ain't your grandpa's Blue Jackets. This is a team ready to legitimately compete for a playoff birth for their first time in franchise history.

Now if they could just get those damn special teams on track imagine where this team could go?

Lets take a look at the game.STOPLIGHT GAME REVIEW

GREEN* Gutsy effort. Boys were dog tired but they competed like crazy out there. Lets see... 3rd game in 4 nights, back to back, end of a 3 game road trip, injuries, 4 day break right around the corner and against one of the top 4 teams in the West who had lost 2 in a row -- yeah I'll take that point and get out of dodge.

* Everyone contributing offensively. 8 different Jackets on the scoreboard last night.

* How about RJ? Dude was struggling prior to last night's game but he was the Jackets best forward and had the most jump last night --- and of course he notched 2 big goals and took a dirty hit for the team. Guy had a team high 7 shots.

* A big "hell yeah" to Methot for jumpin in to defend his teammate. That is just another sign that this group is becoming a team.

* With a depleted lineup the veterans logged some heavy minutes. Nash, Manny, Modin, Williams, Commodore, Umberger and Hejda all played 20+ minutes.

* Speaking of Williams... another great game with a beauty of a pass to Voracek (whom also played great) for his 4 point in 3 games as a Jacket.

* Tollefsen taking that shot from Roy was a great example that this team is playing with their heads as much as their heart. As Hith has said, that is being "dug in".

YELLOW* Gonna give Mase a pass for last night. This kid was clearly exhausted but man'd up and held this team in it when he could. Its a shame those two shootout attempts he stopped went to waste.

* Nash was the same but he stepped up and scored a big shot handed goal to put the Jackets up in the 3rd. Great players find ways to make a difference even when they clearly aren't 100%.

* Those cross ice passes are killing the Jackets and they have to find a way to shut those down... They did do a better job of clearing pucks out and limiting the neutral zone turnovers.

* It got pretty ugly there at the end of the 3rd... the Jackets were hangin on by a thread.

RED* Jackets have to find a way to make teams pay on the PP... especially with 5 on 3 advantages... those are the opportunities to put teams away. They are playing through it but boy are they making things harder on themselves instead of making team's like Calgary pay for their aggressiveness.

* You just knew the refs were going to even things up. They called the Jackets for 3 straight hooking penalties in the 3rd -- one of which the Flames converted to tie this game up. No calls on the Flames after the 2nd period -- yep they were perfect..right.

* That lack call on Regehr's cross check to Dorsett's face was an embarrassment to officiating and the game... he should have been ejected on the spot. Did they honestly think roughing would spread Dorsett's face wide open like that? Where is this so called "crack down" on shots to the head? Friggan joke.

* The shootout attempts were ugly.

3 BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE NIGHT1. Gutsy effort by all involved.2. Everyone contributing on the score sheet.3. RJ Umberger with a tremendous effort.

The Jackets finished this 3 game road trip capturing 3 out of a possible 6 points. That Edmonton game still stings but when you look at the adversity this team has overcome, especially with injuries and the sheer amount of back to backs (the most in the league), this team is clearly coming together and getting stronger as the season wears on.

The end result wasn't exactly what they hope for but they grabbed a point and as stated, sit just 2 points out of the 8th seed and just 4 points out of the 5th.

Now its time for these guys to plug in and re-charge. Traditionally after this break is when the "haves" start turning up the heat and make their playoff pushes. Its a time when the "nots" get left behind.

So over these next four days the boys need to get that R&R but realize that they are going to have to work even harder when this break is over.

Hopefully they get some of their walking wounded back before they meet Detroit at home on Tuesday.

3 comments:

Couldn't agree more, LTL. If you had come to me before last night's game and said "CBJ can have a point without playing the game", I would have taken you up on it on the spot, especially after finding out Peca was out.

The NW Canada trip is always a tough one, because they are so fast and physical at the same time. We did a much better job of clearing in our own zone, and a decent job on the board battles, but we lost the race to a lot of pucks in our own zone that enabled Calgary to perpetuate their attacks.

But 22-20-5, 49 points, in the thick of the race ain't bad. 5 days to get healthy, recharge the batteries, and enjoy some home cookin'

Standings

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